Building a Telescope Rig to PHOTOGRAPH GALAXIES

In this video I share my progress putting together a new telescope rig for astrophotography.
Celestron EdgeHD 11: bit.ly/3oPA8MQ
Hyperstar V4: bit.ly/3rBKSge
This telescope has a focal length of 2800mm, and is perfect for collecting light on small galaxies and planets, but not without its challenges.
Although it is completely different than the astrophotography telescopes I usually use, it should offer me a chance to try some new types of photography.
CORRECTION: The image of NGC 281 was taken by Nathan Duso: www.astrobin.com/users/mumble...
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Some of the links in my video descriptions are affiliate links, which means at no extra cost to you, I will make a small commission if you click them and make a qualifying purchase.

[@MillerDoesIt]

I can't speak for everyone but the reason I started following your channel (and eventually got into astrophotography myself) was because you didn't edit out your struggles, frustrations and iterations. It's what makes your channel incredibly educational. A lot of channels exist out there which show the ways things work when everything well.

[@thelordofcubing]

I've never seen Trevor this excited. It's like Christmas morning 😂

[@TheBelrick]

I saw a guy use a similar setup... you can see a line that is the usb camera leading away from the camera lol

[@BackyardObservatory]

"What are you doing down here?" Epic

[@TheBelrick]

I dont get his advice. The best deep space amateur photography ive seen were on large dobsonian mounts . the battle of exposure time vs. aperture is my guess? that a 14" doing a 30sec (max?) exposure is better than a 132mmm doing 10min ? well i dont know.

[@BackyardObservatory]

​@@TheBelrick The best images being from Dobs is a bit odd as Dobs are the worst for AP, short of handheld. The best to worst for AP is usually EQ, Alt/Az, Dob, handheld. Granted a Dob mount is an Alt/Az mount, but they require one track the target by hand. Not easy to do when imaging, even for the most experienced among us. With all other factors being equal, larger aperture wins every time as it gathers more photons per second vs smaller apertures. This means dimmer objects or more detail for the same period of time, or shorter exposure time for the same amount of data. The shorter exposure time has a distinct advantage of having less images ruined by jets/satellites/clouds/etc..

[@KnowledgePerformance7]

@@TheBelrick seems odd to comment that on this comment but whatever. Idk where you are getting your images because every amazing photo I have ever seen has been a German mount. Dobs are less accurate for high zoom tracking and suffer from sky rotation

[@TheBelrick]

@@KnowledgePerformance7 but the cure for lack of rotation is to take SHORTER exposures. as i said. Anyway, watch clips on dob deepsky photos or not. They are breath taking IMHO but you may not care.

[@TheBelrick]

@@BackyardObservatory if you dont take long exposures then tracking isnt an issue.... tracking is a way to compensate for limited exposure. i think of it as large "eyes" capturing large amounts of light in a short time vs. small "eyes" capturing large amounts of light over a LONG amount of time. 30sec exposure vs. 10min. 400mm squared vs. 132mm. squared 10min exposure is 20 times longer than the absolute most a dob can do but a 16"dob captures 9x the light than a 132mm refractor does. and costs the same. anyway, just thoughts from a fan not actually arguing

[@kentswenson2480]

Dude! Backward hat, basement techno rave! Never too old 🤙

[@RaysAstrophotography]

My kind of stuff! You did pretty well for the first encounter with those giant scopes!

[@dontbugme8]

Im glad that drop wasn't the secondary!

[@michal_king478]

yeah I would be so scared id drop the secondary. Good thing the secondary isnt terribly expensive Im guessing since its just a small parabolic mirror (thats bulged outwards instead of inwards ofcourse)

[@TheAngryAstronomer]

Glad to see you're having fun experimenting with different filming styles.

[@StargazerFS128]

Good luck with the weather Trevor, I'm in southern Ontario also, grey grey grey skies, cant wait to see the results.

[@rawzen5140]

i love how easy it is to see how much effort you put into this video, and all your videos. nice job as usual Trevor.

[@johnnycampbell]

Looking forward to following you on your SCT - AP journey! Galaxy season should be a blast. Clear skies to you!

[@iandobbin8068]

Great timing, my hyperstar arrived today, partnered with the edgehd 8" I am looking forward to your journey. Unfortunately smoke is having huge effect here in Australia, but still going to have a go ! Clear skies !

[@dericcaselli3927]

Welcome to the mavelous world of the SCT telescopes, they are very versatile and will do so many things well.

[@user-ls8ks7kv8c]

Those Celestron Edges are fantastic for planetary imaging as well. Damien Peach uses a C14 and the results speak for themselves

[@TexasTimelapse]

The most breathtaking views of Saturn I've ever seen were through a 14" SCT. Absolutely amazing!

[@latouselatrec]

What the f*** is going on there isn't been no pictures of Saturn on here

[@davidburchettephotography6513]

Can’t wait to see what you get with this setup in the different configurations. Clear skies!

[@CVObservatory]

Can't wait!! I have been looking at the Edge telescopes for a while.

[@pathdoc]

The Hyperstar doesn't really "convert" the scope from f/10 to f/1.9, it just uses the prime focus which is at f/1.9 instead of the secondary f/10 focus. The lenses are for correction.

[@SterrenKijkenInDeStad]

Bill Woodward was about to add that comment as well. I thought it was common knowledge most of these type of scopes (Maks also) have very fast main mirrors, basically shaving mirrors. They are often even spherical, which explains the many lenses in the hyperstar to cure spherical aberrations.

[@dgdave2673]

- so you have to use a $1200 Starizona to get back to F2 ? 😮😂😂 That thing is ridiculously priced. Get a dedicated Rasa instead.

[@dgdave2673]

- so you have to use a $1200 Starizona to get back to F2 ? 😮😂😂 That thing is ridiculously priced. Get a dedicated Rasa instead.

[@Talalpro_1]

Omg yes thank you for uploading I’ve been waiting for a new amazing video.

[@gregbromley152]

Awesome video Trevor! More than ever, you're a huge motivation to get deeper into this hobby.

[@markcaplan]

As an Englishman I would say a baseball cap should only be worn forwards and only when playing baseball. Absolutely love the videos by the way. Amazing work.

[@MrSharkb828]

I saw the thumbnail and instantly got so excited! Can't wait for some more images and videos. Thanks, Trevor!

[@christophercirrincione4320]

Great video and you're never too old to wear a cap backward!

[@dwha81]

Beautiful! Someday I hope to try reflectors.

[@laidbackobs]

Magnificent vide as always Trevor, and thanks for featuring one of my planetary images. The potentials are extraordinary with the EdgeHD.

[@abramians1]

Recently purchased the Celestron EdgeHD 9.25''. Looking forward to getting into photographing galaxies. This was a GREAT review! Really appreciate all the great videos and information that you provide.

[@p7ayfu77tech]

Sooo so happy you could try it out. Love ur vids. Keep em coming.

[@stevensiwinski8049]

Love the HD 11 rave

[@DrivingMoccasins87]

You have by far become my favorite channel to keep up with. I’m slowly learning astrophotography with your help. Thanks Trevor. By the way, you’re never too old to wear a backwards hat my man.

[@ununquadiumelement4164]

I’ve learnt so much from your videos. Thank you so much you really helped my way through astrophotography!

[@SimonSpe]

Just discovered your vids and i must say the quality of your shots are amazing .. keep it up

[@wesleydonnelly2141]

Congratulations on reaching 100'000 SUBS Trevor!! Amazing! Wes, Liverpool, UK.

[@AstroBackyard]

Hey guys! I know a lot of you use the Celestron EdgeHD (8, 9.25, 11) for astrophotography - PLEASE give me some tips for shooting with this scope. Is the ASI533 a good fit? Or should I try it with my DSLR? Thank you!

[@AVAstronomy]

AstroBackyard I think you said it best in you r video. One of the struggles you may face with those smaller pixels is guiding accuracy. I’d go with the largest pixel camera you have which if I’m not mistaken would be your Canon EOS Ra at 5.36 micron. Looking forward to seeing your results on this. Good luck to you!

[@AbhineetKelley]

Nice

[@dekemp1986]

You could try binning one of your dedicated cameras to get a better fitting image scale

[@luboinchina3013]

Proper spacing (distance to the sensor), off axis guiding and focus is the key. Starizona also makes focal reducers for them. At F7 it will make it it shorter and faster so you can keep using the same imaging camera, also at 2800 mm you will often struggle to get full galaxy to one frame. I would definitely start with starizona 0.7 reducer.

[@rob8522]

Think you have the 294, larger pixelsize. Also Canon's pixels are larger.

[@TheUrbanAstronomer]

Awesome, look forward to this. Enjoyable video 👌

[@kostasrogue]

Oh men this is crazy! Have fun!

[@killahBmasta]

Amazing! I own a 8“RC myself. Thrilled to the upcoming videos!! Have fun and cs

[@belken117]

I have an affinity for telescopes and all that just takes the biggest cake I ever imagine! Looking forward to see the results! Those galaxies are gonna look good!

[@astroEnthusiast1]

Keep up the great work Trevor!!

[@FreedomToRoam86]

Can't wait to see your pics of planets with this beast!

[@capturethephotons2078]

I love your passion for the night sky. I know the feeling when you wake up live your day and go to sleep with your mind and heart set in the heavens. I will be purchasing my first set up by Spring of this year and hopefully I am out learning the ins-and-outs of astrophotography. I've learned so much from your Channel and others like you in this community. Clear Skies 🌌

[@horaciodortona574]

Awesome set up with the Edge HD at that focal length accurate guiding is critical so polar alignment has to be spot on. Can't wait to see your images I'm a big fan of your work. Best of luck and of course Clear Skies.

[@FROGGS01]

This is insane. I love it.

[@michaell1473]

Can't wait to see what you do with this! I've got a RASA 8 and it's great for wide field. I have been considering getting an Edge HD 8 or 9.5 and swapping out the OTA based off the target, specifically for galaxies and small nebula. I know that whole point of the Hyperstar is that you can do both but it is also almost the price of an 8in Edge HD itself.

[@TPQ1235]

Finally, you are using an SCT. I have loved all your wide field work and especially your perspectives on setups, products, and processes. As someone who has been using a Meade 2120 for over 30 years I am looking forward to a Trevor SCT series!

[@AstroBackyard]

Thank you - I am really excited to shoot smaller targets!

[@barryallen5744]

Can't wait for the results.

[@hammett10ify]

Can't wait to see the photos you take with that set up

[@NikonJax]

Excellent video Trevor!

[@sking3571]

Hey Trevor your going to have a lot of fun and new horizons with this rig. I have the same scope, mount and Celestron 0.7 reducer. I have yet to get the Hyperstar (Maybe in future).As far as cameras I have used the ZWO ASI 294, 071 and 1600mm. Binning 2X2 has given some excellent results. Looking forward to your work with this. I also have setup different complete rigs and it does make it easier. Frustrating this winter as I have not had more than 45 minutes of clear sky since October 28th..

[@danwray5626]

Thank you for sharing this with us.

[@yannickg6904]

Beautiful instrument. Celestrons are such classics. I plan on buidling my own mount one day, I have real Byers worm drives for both axes.

[@noseonscent1935]

Awesome gear Trev! Cheers. Great short video

[@banukadimuthu4070]

I m waiting for see your works with this telescope. All da best !!!!

[@AstroForumSpace]

100K!!!! Congrats Trevor, you deserve it bigtime. I'm looking for a Smith Chretien as a somewhat more affordable way to image galaxies. Have fun with this, looking forward to seeing some excellent astropics. Also, I was thinking that binning could be useful when the pixel size is so small?

[@MegaDroogKloot]

Love your video’s mate, you sparked my intrest in astrophotography And just wear the cap the way you want to wear it 😄

[@AstroBlender]

I had my hat on backwards in some of my first few vids! I still do it, it’s still cool! :) Nice rig!

[@donaldbenson5206]

Great video Trevor. It's good to see you've open your horizons to big scopes. You didn't mention a guide scope or I missed that. Can't wait to see what you capture first. Clear skies buddy. If you have the hat turned the other way there would be shadows on your face, not good for filming. To each his own. Thanks for bring excitement to your videos, makes me wanna go buy a 9k rig setup too.

[@dutchwhitey1138]

I am 50 and i also have my cap backwards. so keep it like you like it. :D

[@AstroBackyard]

Will do

[@chattywalrus8485]

Don't worry, Trevor, you're like Saturn: you look gorgeous any way you wear your hat! Happy New Year!

[@PixelFighterKing]

never let haters tell you what to do. they are just envious of your personal freedom. backwards hats squad represent. thank you for all of your efforts and information regarding astrophotograpy and gear reviews. you are very impressive.

[@FrankP83]

Ohhhh FINALLY!I've got the C8...and is a BEAST! ^_^

[@axford696969]

Can't wait to see your images with this rig Trevor....

[@RnCforPS3]

Almost 100k. Damn you really are making this hobby more mainstream.

[@astronomybob]

So many toys .... Great video Trevor !

[@michaellewis7768]

Thanks for all of your videos. Your authenticity and passion for the hobby are definitely infectious (in a good way). Definitely made me want a telescope (and rescue dog)(my cat would not approve). Also, you should totally do a behind the scenes mockumentry of Rudy and your wife’s perspective as they come across you vlogging around the house and backyard. :-D. Cheers!

[@devinespinoza9213]

That setup is stupidly beautiful 🤩

[@robsbackyardastrophotograp8885]

Very awesome setup, Trevor! Welcome to the wonderful world of cats & casses :)

[@aperturedriven88]

🤣🤣🤣 "what are you doing down here?!" "What??" Looking forward to seeing this setup in action Trevor! I'm wanting in the next year to pick up the same mount, the Edge HD 14" and Hyperstar. Makes sense financially given that this setup + the ASI6200 is only $1000 more the RASA 36cm OTA by itself.

[@Virindi77]

Superb setup. I just picked up a C9.25 this weekend and wait for delivery of my hyperstar. For small galaxies, I'd use it with hyperstar and with small pixels camera, sampling under 1" / pixel rather than long exposures at F6.3.

[@AVAstronomy]

Awesome! Looking forward to galaxy season as well.

[@randomname2159]

when is the best time for galaxy observation in the northern hemisphere?

[@AVAstronomy]

Alexandru Ancuța February -April is pretty good

[@michal_king478]

boy thats a BEAST

[@andyprice4696]

Subscribed! You literally just setup exactly what I was planning on purchasing. 11” edge with hyperstar on a CGX Mount. Can’t wait to see your experiences and results with this rig. I’m saving my pennies now. Also, see if starizona will send you the new night owl reducer. It looks very interesting. And find a target for that baby ASAP! We can’t wait 2 more months. Give us variety. Some planetary and some DSO.

[@michalcaganek8287]

Always been a fan sir, keep it going! 😊👍

[@DennisCarmody]

I’ve been using a C925 at f/10, f/6.3 w a reducer, and f/2.3 w Hyperstar. The challenge definitely goes up exponentially at higher focal lengths. I love that I can use the same telescope for f/30 planetary and massive nebula at f/2.3.

[@richardgracews6]

Sweet! I just picked up a clean C8 cheap to give my Arsenal of optics more reach. I can't wait to see the whirlpool up close.

[@ghenghiskhan39]

Dude, you seriously have some awesome gear.👍👍👍

[@materialdialectics]

You're never too old Trevor, never.

[@myschoolaccountitotallyuse2290]

Looks fun to play with!

[@PatThePerson]

The amazing thing is out of all people one of us can see something out there that no one has ever observed. Be it an asteroid, a new Galaxy, a previously undiscovered planet in our system.

[@matthewhart4952]

The Celestron Disco was a nice touch 🤣 Great content as always!

[@jessetrail5330]

Wow! Thanks for the brilliant info Trevor. I am new to astrophotography and am eager to start shooting. Here on the coast of Northern California, clear skies are hard to come by. Also looking forward to my first NEAF in April.

[@remcohekker]

Wow! Looks great Trevor. I'm excited for you. Can't wait to see some of those galaxies. I do hope they've provided a nice box to store that secondary mirror in...

[@MRayInteractive]

Actually the cap that unscrews from the hyperstar can thread right on to the secondary - a nice little design decision by Starizona.

[@remcohekker]

@@MRayInteractive Ah that makes sense. Interesting device, look forward to seeing what it can do.

[@chuckaustin2406]

Trevor, I just re-watched this video since I'm looking at setting up a similar rig. 9.25" instead of 11" and not as heavy of a tripod, but still really close. Just need to drive down to Tuscon from Phoenix talk with Starizona. And to answer your question, no, you aren't to old to wear your cap backwards. I still do when I'm at the range and did last night so my headlamp wouldn't ne bothered with the hat bill. I'm 69 years old and not too old to wear a hat backward. You're fine. Cheers!!

[@TheWonkyAstronomer]

I have the same scope (with Hyperstar) on a fork mount. Very happy with it indeed.

[@piotrjakuc6357]

And I thought that 1200mm is a long focal length! Great video, Trevor!

[@belidged]

I’ve been working on a similar rig, I just need the last piece from Starizona. Nice work! 👍🏻

[@misterwizz5690]

I'm pleased you mentioned the backward cap, no problem! Just get someone real strong to snap your head a full 180 degrees, hey presto the cap will now be facing the correct intended direction!

[@Chris_LSZO]

I use the C14 and yes it is very flexible. Hyperstar, f7 with reducer or the full focal length depends of what you want to do. I love this flexible concept very much, it's a 3 in 1 telescope.

[@scottadams5858]

Trevor, dude, sick ass scope man! I want you to know we are all jealous right now lmao. I am totally looking forward to the images you get with that, one on my wish list btw, exception I would do, dreaming here, pier mounted in a home observatory.

[@leonjones7120]

This equipment is stunning. I did astronomy when I was younger, and saw what I could with a small refractor. Couldn't afford the equipment upgrades which would have kept my interest.

[@BKBees]

You're definitely not too old for a backwards hat. If you are then I am, and I refuse to stop. So keep it up.

[@AstroHoff]

12:47 Weird looking NGC 281 (Pacman Nebula). 😜 Another quality video and perfect timing. Just been looking into a new scope for galaxies.

[@DavidAlanReece]

The reason the front camera orientation yields a brighter (lower F-stop) is that you stop the light's path 2/3's of the way to the rear eyepiece. As you know, the light enters the telescope and has to make three separate trips to reach the rear eyepiece. Light enters the front, then reflects off the back, then focuses (reflects again) off the smaller front element, then hits the rear. The Hyper Star is stopping the last path of light (basically taking off 33% of the total path). Since light follows the inverse square law, you theoretically might get close to 50-60% more light by stopping it midway. Additionally, they are probably employing the same technique used in photography to concentrate the light (like a metabones adapter for a digital camera), so that you get even more light since it is concentrated onto the sensor by the optics in the Hyper Star. I am old physics major, so I might have missed a few points, but in a nutshell, that explains the increased light.

[@constellationshots3893]

I like the 90s style intro for the telescope

[@MrGChuff]

Magnificent new setup. Time to upgrade to a wizards hat🧙‍♂️

[@PafMedic]

Thats Just Beautiful,I Have The Celestron 8se..Was A Christmas Present,So Far..Im Enjoying It,But..Cant Wait Till Spring..Im a Fan..Subscribed

[@jeffreypicard6022]

Love the video Trevor. Do you get to keep the scope when you're done testing? Or, at the very least, do you get a good deal on it? It is used, after all!

[@johnnyhotpants100]

You're never to old to do anything my man

[@libork5397]

Very interesting , I started to follow your channel recently and it is quite inspirational .... Thank you ...

[@yellowlynx]

I have similar approach. EQ6+FLT98, all rounded purpose. ED80/F6 or WO71 plus a iOptron CEM25 for more wide field C11 plus iOptron CEM60 like yours. They are all on my roof top. All I need to do is to hook up my computer, the power and put the OTA on the mount, of course the mounts are already fine tuned in balancing and polar alignment.

[@SOCMMOB]

I was happy to see that Canon used your likeness in their recent ad campaign on FB. You’ve earned the exposure. Pun intended.

[@MrAwol007]

wow that mars pic is amazing :)

[@Astroterrat]

Hi friend! I'm Carlos Uriarte. First, sorry for my words, but this is an reflexion. I think that this telescope with an CMOS camera produces a little resolution. Only 0'3" and probably your setup is very crazy! Two principal causes: 1) your sky: Whith 300-800/1000 it's no problem to deepsky photos, but with 2000 your sky is very important: Jetstream and seeing. If you want photography small galaxies or planetary nebulaes is probably that you want a great individual images. But with poor or regular seeing its not possible, with this resolution. And , for example, in my town, only 2 or 4 nights at year with best seeing!. 2) guiding. I recomanded calibrate very well phd, with training and good calibration with mount connection directly. And CGXL IT'S BEAST! I think that it's a great mount, but is important very good guiding below 0,2" rates. In my opinion i prefer an a Vixen VISAC, with focal reducer you have an a f6 with 1280 focal. very well and it's portable solution. added an a feather touch focusers with motor mode. Good luck Trevor!

[@lostindimcarcosa]

Astroterrat universe windows .....x-) as you said, he doesnt know the heavy oversampling yet. The first „soft“ images he will get will destroy all illusions :-)

[@Astroterrat]

@@lostindimcarcosa of course! but, I think that hyperstar solution will be great results, similar to Celestron RASA 11. And Trevor will have 2 setups, without Hyperstar or not.